Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: what3words

Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: 2026-08-12

Experience Level: 2-5 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (with 6-week remote working policy)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the end-to-end product design process, from conceptualization to final implementation, ensuring a seamless user experience.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers and Engineers to translate complex user needs and business objectives into intuitive and visually appealing product solutions.

• Champion User-Centred Design (UCD) methodologies, advocating for user needs throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Create detailed storyboards, wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes to effectively communicate design concepts and user flows.

• Actively participate in feedback loops and iteration cycles to continuously refine and improve product designs.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within the Product team, indicating a strong focus on user-facing product development. The emphasis on "full stack design experience" suggests the need for a designer comfortable across both UX strategy and UI execution. The location in Vietnam, coupled with a 6-week remote working policy, suggests a hybrid model with flexibility.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the design of new product features and improvements, ensuring alignment with the company's mission to make addressing a global standard.

• Develop and maintain a consistent design language and system across all product touchpoints.

• Conduct user research, usability testing, and gather feedback to inform design decisions and validate solutions.

• Effectively communicate design rationale and technical considerations to diverse stakeholder groups, including engineering and product teams.

• Translate business requirements and user insights into actionable design specifications for development.

• Proactively identify opportunities for design innovation and process improvement within the product development workflow.

• Ensure design quality and adherence to specifications through rigorous design reviews during the development process.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility to "ensure that the design vision is executed correctly during the development process" highlights the critical need for strong collaboration and communication with the engineering team, emphasizing the "full stack" nature of the role.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating proficiency in product design principles and methodologies is paramount.

Experience: A minimum of 2-5 years of experience in product design, with a proven track record of successfully delivering substantial projects that demonstrably increased user retention or acquisition.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in User-Centred Design (UCD) methodologies.

• Expertise in UX and UI design, including interaction design and visual design principles.

• Proficiency in creating storyboards, wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes.

• Demonstrated ability to balance user needs with business objectives and technical constraints.

• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with fluent spoken and written English.

• Experience working with diverse stakeholder groups and incorporating feedback effectively.

• Familiarity with design reviews and collaboration with engineering teams. Preferred Skills:

• Interest in emerging technologies across web, mobile, wearables, and automotive sectors.

• Knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and an understanding of web application technologies.

• Experience designing for a global audience across multiple languages and cultural contexts.

• Familiarity with Agile software development processes.

• A passion for maps and location-based services.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "2-5 years" experience level is inferred from the description of "substantial project" experience and the need for full-stack design capabilities, suggesting a mid-level role rather than entry-level or senior.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase at least one substantial project where your UX work directly led to a demonstrable increase in user retention or acquisition.

• Include examples of your end-to-end design process, from initial research and ideation to final UI implementation.

• Demonstrate proficiency in creating wireframes, user flows, interactive prototypes, and final visual designs.

• Highlight your ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams (Product Managers, Engineers) and incorporate feedback.

• Present case studies that clearly articulate the problem, your design process, the solution, and the impact (quantifiable results preferred). Process Documentation:

• Examples of how you have applied User-Centred Design (UCD) methodologies in practice.

• Documentation of your approach to stakeholder management and translating business needs into design solutions.

• Evidence of your process for balancing user needs against business objectives and constraints.

• Case studies or examples of how you have ensured design vision execution during development through collaboration with engineers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a "track-record of designing a substantial project where your UX work has resulted in a demonstrable increase in user retention or acquisition" is a critical indicator for portfolio content. This means candidates must be prepared to present projects with measurable outcomes.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the provided salary of $1500 - $2500 USD per month for Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, this falls within the competitive range for a mid-level Product Designer in the region, considering the company's global presence and the role's responsibilities. This range is typical for a full-time, hybrid role with remote flexibility.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary

• Flexible working arrangements

• 6-week remote working policy (work from anywhere)

• 25 days of holiday per year, with the option to purchase more

• Share options in the company

• Private health insurance

• Dedicated Wellbeing Days

• Generous parental leave policies

• Family-friendly policies

• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for confidential support

• Team social budget for team-building activities

Working Hours: A standard full-time work week is assumed, typically around 40 hours, with flexibility offered. The company operates globally, so some overlap with international teams may be required, but the primary location in Vietnam suggests adherence to local working norms with flexibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is specific to the Vietnamese market for this role. The benefits package is comprehensive and reflects a company that values employee well-being and offers global flexibility, aligning with its mission and international operations.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, specifically focused on location addressing and mapping services. what3words is revolutionizing how people and businesses find, share, and use locations, aiming to become the global standard.

Company Size: The provided data doesn't specify exact employee count but mentions "monthly active users continue to grow at an impressive pace" and integration into millions of cars, suggesting a scale-up phase with significant global reach and impact.

Founded: what3words was founded with a mission to solve the inaccuracies and limitations of traditional street addresses. Its existence is driven by the need for a more precise and universal addressing system for the 21st century.

Team Structure:

• The Product Designer will join the Product team, working closely with Product Managers and Engineers.

• This indicates a collaborative, cross-functional team structure common in agile tech environments.

• Reporting likely falls within a Product or Design hierarchy, with direct collaboration across development disciplines. Methodology:

• User-Centred Design (UCD) is a core methodology, emphasizing understanding and prioritizing user needs.

• Agile software development processes are likely employed, facilitating iterative design and development cycles.

• Data-driven decision-making is implied through the focus on measurable outcomes (user retention/acquisition).

Company Website: https://www.what3words.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission is central to its culture. The emphasis on global impact, innovation, and solving real-world problems through technology creates a unique environment for designers.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Product Designer with 2-5 years of experience, indicating a mid-level individual contributor role. It requires a solid foundation in design principles and the ability to work independently on significant projects while also collaborating effectively within a team. The "full stack" expectation means growth into more specialized or lead design roles is possible.

Reporting Structure: The Product Designer will report into a Product Manager or a Head of Design/Product, working collaboratively with a dedicated team of engineers and product managers. This structure allows for direct influence on product direction and execution.

Operations Impact: Product Designers at what3words have a direct and significant impact on the company's core mission. By creating intuitive and effective user experiences, they drive user acquisition and retention, which are critical metrics for the company's growth and adoption of its addressing system globally. Their work directly contributes to the usability and success of the product across diverse applications (emergency services, logistics, personal use).

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in UX research, interaction design, UI design systems, or specific technology domains (e.g., automotive, wearables).

• Leadership Potential: Progression to Senior Product Designer or Design Lead roles, mentoring junior designers and taking ownership of larger product areas.

• Cross-Functional Development: Gaining deeper insights into product strategy, engineering constraints, and business objectives, potentially leading to product management or strategy roles for ambitious individuals.

• Industry Exposure: Working with cutting-edge location technology and its application across various global industries.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "full stack design experience" requirement suggests that growth will involve deepening expertise across the entire design spectrum rather than just UI or UX in isolation.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The job listing mentions a "centrally located Ho Chi Minh City office," implying a physical workspace. However, it also specifies a "6 week remote working policy," indicating a hybrid model where employees can work remotely for extended periods.

Office Location(s): Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This location is central, suggesting accessibility within the city.

Workspace Context:

• The Ho Chi Minh City office likely provides a collaborative environment for team members based locally.

• The hybrid and remote working policies suggest a flexible approach, catering to individual work styles and global team collaboration.

• Access to necessary design tools and technology within the office and support for remote work setups.

• Opportunities for in-person collaboration and team building, balanced with the flexibility of remote work.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time schedule is expected, likely around 9 AM to 5 PM local time, but with flexibility due to the hybrid and remote working policies. This allows for better work-life balance and accommodates collaboration across different time zones when necessary.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "6 week remote working policy" is a significant perk, offering substantial flexibility for employees to work from anywhere for extended periods, which is unusual and highly attractive.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of CV and portfolio to assess experience and alignment with required skills.

• Design Challenge/Portfolio Review: A practical exercise or in-depth discussion of portfolio projects to evaluate design thinking, problem-solving skills, and execution. Expect to present case studies demonstrating your process and impact.

• Team Interviews: Meetings with Product Managers and Engineers to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and cultural fit. You'll likely discuss how you approach teamwork and stakeholder management.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader to discuss overall fit, career aspirations, and alignment with the company's mission.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the problem you solved, your design process, the solution, and most importantly, the quantifiable results (e.g., increased user retention, acquisition improvements).

• Show Your Process: Include wireframes, user flows, prototypes, and final UI designs. Explain your rationale behind key design decisions.

• Highlight Collaboration: Showcase how you worked with cross-functional teams (PMs, Engineers) and incorporated feedback.

• Tailor to what3words: If possible, demonstrate an understanding of location-based services and how your design skills can contribute to their mission.

• Clarity and Conciseness: Present your work clearly and concisely, ensuring it's easy to navigate and understand.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a design challenge that might involve problem-solving, user flow design, or UI refinement, likely related to location services or a similar domain.

• Practice articulating your thought process, design decisions, and trade-offs under timed conditions.

• Think about how you would approach balancing user needs with business constraints and technical feasibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is likely to heavily scrutinize the candidate's portfolio for evidence of measurable impact and a structured design process, especially given the emphasis on "demonstrable increase in user retention or acquisition."

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator), InVision, or similar industry-standard software for wireframing, UI design, and prototyping.

• Collaboration: Tools like Slack, Jira, Confluence for team communication and project management.

• User Research: Platforms for conducting user interviews and usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude) to understand user behavior and measure design impact.

• Experience interpreting data to inform design decisions. CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM role, an understanding of how design impacts user journeys within CRM or customer data platforms can be beneficial.

• Familiarity with web application technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is listed as a bonus, indicating an appreciation for front-end development.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, the role's requirements for full-stack design imply proficiency in standard industry tools like Figma or Sketch, along with prototyping software. The bonus points for HTML/CSS/JS suggest an appreciation for front-end implementation details.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User Focus: A deep commitment to understanding and serving user needs, ensuring products are simple, intuitive, and valuable.

• Innovation: A drive to push boundaries and find new solutions to complex problems, as exemplified by the company's core mission.

• Collaboration: Strong emphasis on teamwork, open communication, and mutual support across product, engineering, and other departments.

• Impact-Driven: A focus on delivering tangible results and making a measurable difference, both for users and the business.

• Global Perspective: A commitment to inclusivity and designing for a diverse, worldwide audience.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers work hand-in-hand with Product Managers to define product strategy and with Engineers to ensure seamless implementation.

• Feedback-Oriented: An environment that encourages constructive feedback and iterative improvement.

• Transparent Communication: Open dialogue about design decisions, challenges, and progress is expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission statement ("help everyone talk about everywhere") and their commitment to "equality, diversity and inclusion" strongly suggest a culture that values broad perspectives and collaborative problem-solving.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Global Needs: Designing for a diverse global audience with varying cultural contexts, languages, and technical capabilities.

• Simplifying Complexity: Translating the innovative but potentially abstract concept of three-word addresses into universally understood and easily usable product experiences.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Effectively managing feedback and differing priorities from various stakeholders (Product, Engineering, Marketing, etc.).

• Rapid Iteration: Thriving in a fast-paced environment that requires quick design cycles and adaptability.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Emerging Technologies: Exposure to and design opportunities within cutting-edge fields like automotive navigation, IoT, and advanced mapping technologies.

• Global Design Practices: Deepening understanding of designing for international markets, accessibility standards, and localization.

• Product Strategy: Gaining exposure to higher-level product strategy discussions and contributing to roadmap planning.

• Mentorship: Potential for mentorship from experienced product leaders and designers within the company.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge will be translating the unique technology of what3words into an intuitive and universally adopted user experience, requiring innovative design thinking.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance conflicting user needs and business objectives. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your decision-making process and stakeholder management.)

• "Walk us through a substantial project from your portfolio where your UX work led to measurable improvements in user retention or acquisition. What was the problem, your process, the solution, and the results?" (Be ready to present detailed case studies.)

• "How do you approach working with engineers to ensure your design vision is executed correctly? Describe your process for design reviews." (Highlight your collaboration and communication skills with development teams.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about what3words' mission and technology? How do you see your design skills contributing to our goal of becoming the global standard for addressing?" (Show genuine interest and alignment.)

• "Describe your experience with User-Centred Design methodologies. How do you ensure user needs are at the forefront of your design process?" (Demonstrate your commitment to UCD.)

• "How do you handle constructive feedback on your designs, especially from non-designers?" (Showcase your adaptability and collaborative spirit.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies as narratives, clearly outlining the problem, your approach, the challenges, your solutions, and the impact.

• Quantify Impact: Use data and metrics wherever possible to demonstrate the success of your designs.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (wireframes, mockups, prototypes) to illustrate your design process and final outcomes.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Expect questions about specific design choices, trade-offs, and your reasoning behind them.

• Highlight Collaboration: Emphasize how you worked with others and incorporated feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should be prepared to deeply articulate their portfolio pieces, focusing on the "why" behind their design decisions and the measurable impact they achieved, aligning with the company's data-driven approach.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio highlights projects demonstrating quantifiable improvements in user retention or acquisition, and clearly showcases your full-stack design process (UX to UI).

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize experience with User-Centred Design, stakeholder management, and collaboration with engineering teams, using keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on impact and process. Prepare to discuss how you balance user needs with business objectives and your experience with Agile methodologies.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with what3words' mission, product, and target markets. Understand how your design skills can directly contribute to their unique addressing system and global expansion goals.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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